Process for producing color effects on textile and other sheet-like material and products therefrom



Dec. 23, 1958 K. RISCH 2,865,787

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING COLOR EFFECTS on TEXTILE AND OTHER SHEETLIKE MATERIAL AND PRODUCTS THEREFROM Filed March 9, 1956 METAL OXIDE C ATING METALLIC COATING WITH 02 WITHOUT DYE SHEET MATERIAL WITH on WITHOUT RES/N r INV EN TOR. K; PA E/sc H. BY

ATTORNEY).

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING COLOR EFFECTS ON TEXTILE AND OTHER SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL AND PRODUCTS THEREFROM Karl Risch, Wattwil, Switzerland, assignorto Heberlein Patent Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March9, 1956 Serial No. 570,657 Claims priority, application Germany March 9, 1955 9 Claims. (Cl. 117-71) which such products are manufactured, the specific em-- bodirnents of which are described hereinafter by way of example and in accordance .with which I now prefer to practice the invention.

In carrying out my invention I deposit a metal and metal oxide coating from the vapours thereof on a thin,

provide material having such nicd States Patent flexible sheet-like material. Such materials include textile articles such as fabrics, knitted goods, and like textiles.

as well as plastic sheets, paper, leather, etc. The plastic I sheets may consist of regenerated cellulose, cellulose esters, polyvinyl chloride, polyesters or the like.

of the metal coating and this may be followed by the metal oxide coating. The dyestuff is vaporized at a temperature below that of the vaporization of the metaL' The thickness of the metal and metal oxide coatings is such that the flexibility of the resulting textile or other material is not substantially altered. The result is the The metal coats may consist of aluminum, copper, andother. metals and the deposition of these coats occurs in a high.

fore the treatment with the metal vapor with an embossing effect, for instance a fine rib or Schreiner finish or a glaze friction effect which may be made permanent by means of a synthetic resin. The expression mechanical effect as employed in the appended claims is intended to designate an embossing effect such as for instance afine rib or Schreiner finish or a glaze friction finish, which may be made permanent by means of a synthetic resin.

The following examples represent processes whichI now prefer to employ in carrying out my invention. It is to be understood that these examples are illustrative and that the invention is not to be considered as restricted thereto except as indicated in the appended claims.

Example 1 r A colored cotton calico is impregnated with an aqueous solution of a melamineformaldehyde preccndensate and a catalyst which splits off acid, namely triethanolamine glycolate, calendered on a glazing calender at 180 C. and thereupon cured for 4 minutes at 140 C. The fabric provided in this way with a permanent chintz effect is coated with aluminum by vaporizing the same at a ternperature between 800 and 1000 of about 5X10 mm. mercury. Then the fabric is treated with tin dioxide by vaporizing the same at a temperature between 1 000 and 1200 C. in a high vacuum of about 2 l0 mm. mercury. The fabric has a polished metallic lustre and appears reddish or on the direction from which it is viewed Example 2 A dyed cotton fabric with 79 ends and picksg'per inch' leasing catalyst, namely triethanolamine glycolate, em-' production of a thin flexible textile or similar material having a' metallic lustre and iridescence. 7

As textiles, I may employ in accordance with my invention, articles of cellulose-containing fiber material such as cotton, viscose rayon, cuprammonium rayon, acetate rayon and furthermore articles of animal fibers such as natural silk or wool and articles ofjsynthetic organic fibres, for instance polyamide fibers (nylon, Perlon), polyester fibers (Dacron, Terylene), polyvinyl base fibers (Orlon). Furthermore, textile articles consisting of mixtures of the said types of ,fibers are also suitable. The expression organic textile material? as used in the appended claims is intended to designate textiles as mentioned above.

As metals to be deposited by vaporization on the sheetlike articles, there are suitable in particular aluminum, copper, tin, silver, gold and other metals which can be vaporized in a high vacuum. It is furthermore possible to deposit difierent metals one after the other by vaporization onto the same sheet-like articles; It is'furtherbossed at about 200 C. on a Schreiner calender and thereupon cured for a Example 3 Nylon taffeta is provided on a goffering calender-"at about 200 C. with a goffered pattern. The fabric is thereupon coated in a high vacuum of about5 10 mm.

is of different shades which his viewed.

mercury with aluminum which is vaporized at a temperature of 800 to 1000 C., and then with Auramine (tetramethyldiaminobenzophenonimine h y d r o c h l o ride) whichis vaporized at a temperature of to 200 C. Finally the fabric is coated in the same high vacuum with lead oxide which is vaporized at a temperature between 500 and 800 C. The fabric treated in this manner has a goldish yellow metallic lustre, the goldish' shade appearing more red or more green depending on whether one looks at the fabric at right angles to its .surface or obliquely to same.

Example 4 A cotton fabric provided with a permanent chintz effect in accordance with Example 1 is first coated with copper by vaporizing the same in a high vacuum of about 5X 10-. mm. mercury at a temperature of 1000 to 1100" C. Thereupon the fabric is moated in a high vacuum of about 3 10- mm. mercury with tin dioxide which is vaporized at a temperature between 1000 and 1200 C i The fabric which has been treated. in this manner appears C. in a high vacuum' yellow depending precondensate and an acid-re few minutes at to C. The fabric which is thus imparted a permanent ribbed effect is coated with aluminum as described in Example.

which is vaporized C. The fabric has av a deep red or a deep green respectively blue depending on the thickness of the oxide layer applied.

Example 5 with fluorescein (phenyloxyfluoron-o-carboxylic acid) which is vaporized at a temperature of 100 to 200 C.

Finally the sheet is coated in a highvacuum of 3X10"? mm. mercury with tin dioxide which is vaporized at a temperature between 1000 and 1200 C. The thus treated plastic sheet iridesces in different colors. 9

The above examples show high resistance to peeling of the coatings from the materials treated".

The iridescent effects obtained by the above examples are due to interference phenomena and the color of the object appears different depending on the thickness and index of refraction of the oxide coating applied. The effects are vivid and interesting.

In the accompanying. drawing the figure shows an enlarged diagrammatic perspective of material treated in accordance with the invention. A

In the figure, 1 designates a thin sheet-like material having a thin. metal coating 2, such as aluminum or other metal deposited thereon, with or without a dye. 3 designates a metal oxide coating deposited on the metal coating 2. The material 1 may be a textilefabric with, or without an impregnated resin, .or it may be a plastic sheet as above described. The metal oxide coating 3 may be tin dioxide or similar oxide as described above. I

I claim:

1. A process, which comprises depositing a metal coating from the vapor thereof on a thin, flexible sheet-like material having a resinous surface adapted, to prevent peeling ofthe metal coating therefrom, and then deposit ing on top of said metal deposit a metal oxide coating frorn the vapor thereof, the thickness of saidjmetal and metal oxide coatings being such that the, flexibility of the said. material is not substantially altered, to prcduce a. sheet-like material having a metallic lustre and irides cence.

2, A process which comprises depositing a metal coating on a ,thin, fiexible sheet-like material having aresinfl ous surface adapted to prevent peeling of the metal coat-' ing therefrom by vaporizing the metal in a high vacuum of 10 to 10' mm. mercury and then depositing on top of said metal deposit a tin dioxide coating by vaporizing the tin dioxide in the high vacuum, the thickness of said metal and metal oxide coatings being such that the flexibility of the. said material is not substantially altered, to produce a sheet-like material having a metallic lustre and iridescence.

3. A process which comprises depositing a metal coating on a thin, flexible sheet-like material having a resinous surface adapted to prevent peeling of the metal coating therefrom by vaporizing the metal ina high vacuum of 10 to '10- mm. mercury and then depositingron top of said metal deposit an antimony trioxide coating by vaporization of the antimony trioxide in the high vacuum, the thickness of said metal and metal oxidecoatings being such that the flexibility of the said material is not substantiallv altered, to p oduce a sheet-like material having a metallic lustre and iridescence.

4. A process which comprises depositing a metal coating on a thin, flexible sheet-like material having a-resin ous surface. adapted to prevent peeling of the metal coating therefrom by vaporizing the metal: in 'a'; high vaporizing the lead oxide in the high vacuum, thethick ness'of said metal and metaloxide coatings being such that the flexibility of said material is not substantiallyaltered, to produce a sheet-like material having a metallic lustre and iridescence.

organic dyeoni'top, of said metal deposit and then depositing on top ofsaid organic dye a metal oxide coating from the vapor thereof, the thickness of said metal and metal oxide coatingsbeing such that the flexibility of the said material is not substantially altered, to produce a sheetlike material having a metallic lustre and iridescence.

6. A process, which comprises depositing a metal coating on an-organic textile material having a resinous surface adaptedto prevent peeling of the metal coating therefrom and then depositing on top of said metal deposit a metal oxide coating. fromthe vap'or. thereof, the thickness of said metal and metal oxide coatings being such that the flexibility of the said material is not substantially altered, to produce an organic textile material having a metallic lustre and iridescence.

7. A process vwhich comprises producing a mechanical effect on an organic textile material, depositing a metal coating thereon from the vapor thereof, said material having'a resinous surface adapted to prevent peeling of the metal coating therefrom, and then depositing on top of said metal deposit a metal oxide coating from the vapor thereof, the thickness of said metal and metal oxide coatings being. such that the flexibility of the said material is not substantially. altered. to poduce an organic textile material having a metallic lustre and iridescence.

8. A process, which comprises producing a mechanical effect-on organic textile material, said'mechanical effect being made. permanent by means of. a synthetic then d'epositing'on' top of said metal deposit a metal oxide coa'tingfrom the'vapor thereof, the thickness of said metal and metal oxide coatings being such that the flexibility of. the said material is not substantially altered, to produce an organic textile material having a metallic lustie and iridescence.

9. A thin flexible sheet-like material, having a thin metal coating thereon, said material having a resinous surface adapted to prevent peeling of the metal coating therefrom, and above said metal coating, a metal oxide coating, the thickness of said metal and metal oxide coatings being such that the flexibility of the said material is not substantially altered, said material having a metallic lustre and iridescence.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,556 Mochel .Sept. 30, 1952 1,661,517 Von Bosse Mar. 6, 1928 2,039,372 Wickman May 5, 1936 2,393,640 King Jan. 29, 1946 2,405,662 McManus et al Aug. 13, 1946 2,422,609 Auwarter June 17, 1947 2,448,511 Barnes et al Sept. 7, 1948 2,577,957 Farnworth et a1 Dec. 11, 1951 2,628,927 Colbert et a1. Feb. 17, 1953 2,689,802 Korver Sept. 21, 1954 2,699,402 Meyer- Ian. 11, 1955 2,740,732 Peck et al Apr. 3, 1956 2,748,031 Kafig May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 179.444 Germany Oct. 3, 1906 592,201 France Apr. 25,1925

OTHER REFERENCES Metal Finishing, July 1949, pp. 42-46, Deposition of Metallic-Films by Vac'uum Methods; 

5. A PROCESS, WHICH COMPRISES DEPOSITING A METAL COATING FROM THE VAPOR THEREOF ON A THIN, FLEXIBLE SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL HAVING A RESINOUS SURFACE ADAPTED TO PREVENT PEELING OF THE METAL COATING THEREFROM, DEPOSITING AN ORGANIC DYE ON TOP OF SAID METAL DEPOSIT AND THEN DEPOSITING ON TOP OF SAID ORGANIC DYE A METAL OXIDE COATING FROM THE VAPOR THEREOF, THE THICKNESS OF SAID METAL AND METAL OXIDE COATINGS BEING SUCH THAT THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE SAID MATERIAL IS NOT SUBSTANTIALLY ALTERED, TO PRODUCE A SHEETLIKE MATERIAL HAVING A METALLIC LUSTRE AND IRIDESCENCE. 